321 Spruce Street, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: (570) 969-9650
www.PerihSmile.com
Bank Towers, Suite 901, 321 Spruce Street, Scranton, PA 18503
Phone: (570) 969-9650 E-mail:
Warning Signs
An orthodontists answers the following questions when making a first evaluation. These answers are based on visual observation of the mouth and teeth. When you know what to look for, you can answer these questions too.
Do the upper teeth protrude?
Excessive protrusion of the upper front teeth - "Buck teeth" is by far the most common orthodontic problem.
Is there a deep bite?
The upper front teeth cover the lower front teeth too much.
Is there an under bite?
The upper teeth fit inside the arch of the lower teeth.
Is there an open bite ?
The child can stick his or her tongue between the upper and lower front teeth when the back teeth are together.
Is there too little or too much room for the teeth?
Crowded or overlapped teeth..
...or noticeably large gaps between teeth.
Do the front teeth line up?
The space between the two upper front teeth and the two lower front teeth should line up with each other and both should line up with the bridge of the nose. When they do not, the probable cause is drifted teeth or a shifted lower jaw, resulting in an improper bite.
Is there a cross bite?
The upper back teeth fit inside rather than outside of the lowers.
Seek treatment earlier than age seven if you child has:
- Difficulty chewing.
- Open-mouth breathing.
- Thumb sucking
- Overlapping or crowding of erupting permanent teeth.
- Jaws that click or pop.
- Biting of the cheek or into the roof of the mouth.
- Speech problems.
- Grinding or wearing down of teeth.
- Obvious abnormal bite development of any kind.